Based on a field without line services (and refusing to move my Rockwell unassisted after slipping and falling while hand-towing it), I’ve been learning about the four broad-brush categories of hangar tugs. This includes more traditional aircraft-specific engine-powered tugs, electric-powered under-nosewheel/tailwheel tugs and handheld tow bars that use the kinetic energy of a spinning cordless […]
When uAvionix brought the skyBeacon wingtip ADS-B Out/strobe light to market, it promised a certified companion device for the other wingtip that receives ADS-B traffic and weather. Four years later and with over 20,000 skyBeacons in service (that’s nearly one-third of the ADS-B Out market), uAvionix has TSO approval for the long-awaited skySensor—a matching electronic […]
A couple of modern headsets for rear-seat passengers, a more comfy and better-sounding set for the right-seater or the student pilot on a budget—there will always be a market for used headsets. And like used avionics, there are good deals and bad deals. We think the good purchases are sets that started life as exceptional […]
With prices for installed aircraft air conditioning systems at $30,000 and climbing, it’s not surprising that owners are looking for less expensive cooling options. One we’ve explored is a portable aircraft cooler made from modern ice chests that uses a fan to blow air across a heat exchanger full of cold water from ice—never dry […]
Wondering whether you are going to dissolve into a puddle of sweat, you call tower advising that you’re ready for takeoff. Starting up, getting your instrument clearance, taxiing out and completing the runup in the heat-soaked airplane on a 95-degree day has been miserable—but relief is only a few minutes away when you climb into […]
Scuttlebutt and rumor—driven by ignorance, profit motive or competition—is that the Phillips AW and Plus Victory oils do the same thing as the CamGuard additive. This may be partially true with respect to anti-wear performance, but some buyers and retailers incorrectly interpret this as the CamGuard product actually being blended in with these oils. In […]
While plugged into a demo kiosk at Sun ‘n Fun last March, Bose’s Hratch Astarjian chuckled and pointed out that the company didn’t develop the new flagship A30 in response to Lightspeed’s Delta Zulu headset, released late last year. It’s not that easy. The replacement for the now discontinued and hugely successful A20 has been […]
Although the Icarus smart VLD has been in development since 2014 (the device is the brainchild of Icarus founder and military helicopter pilot Nick Sinopolo), it’s only been out in the field for a few years. In a training environment that isn’t gentle on gadgets, there’s still a lot to learn and improvements to be […]
Firm believers in the value of cockpit CO detectors, we’re always scanning the market for new ones to try. Since our smart CO detector roundup in the February 2023 Aviation Consumer, we found two more models from Kansas-based Radiant Technology—formerly Belite Electronics, which was part of a larger company that made ultralights. And with a […]
In just a few short years we’ve watched Aithre’s cockpit biometric product line grow from smart SpO2 and portable O2 tank sensors to integrated oxygen systems, and now a panel-mounted multifunction biometrics display. As far as we know, the Aithre Healthview is the first of its kind dedicated and permanently mounted cabin health and enviromental […]
These days, major avionics upgrades include sourcing a new instrument panel to accommodate large flight displays. It’s a pricey and time-consuming effort that many shops outsource or take a long time to do themselves. Texas-based Superior Aircraft Components has the process down to a science and not only design and produce high-quality custom panels, but […]
Ballcap, eyeglasses, headset and oxygen cannula. That’s a mess of accessories on a pilot’s and passenger’s heads. And it’s that head clutter that might make lots of us skip the use of supplemental O2 simply to avoid a nose cannula, even at the price of hypoxia. About the only other thing you can do shy […]
